Communication apparatus and error coping method

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a plurality of devices, each of the devices includes a monitoring unit that monitors at least one other device and detects an error that has occurred in the other device, and if an error is detected by the monitoring unit, the device performs a device reset indicating a reset of the operating state of the other device by the monitoring unit or a power source reset indicating a reset of the supply of electric power to the communication apparatus by a chain-of-command unit included in the device.

1 . A communication apparatus comprising
 a plurality of devices,   wherein each of the devices includes a monitoring unit configured to monitor at least one other device to detect an error that has occurred in the other device, and   if an error is detected by the monitoring unit, a device reset indicating a reset of an operating state of the other device by the monitoring unit or a power source reset indicating a reset of supply of electric power to the communication apparatus by a chain-of-command unit included in the device is performed.   
     
     
         2 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein in a case where an error is detected by the monitoring unit, if the device includes the chain-of-command unit, the chain-of-command unit performs the power source reset, and if the device does not include the chain-of-command unit, the monitoring unit performs the device reset. 
     
     
         3 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1  , wherein if an operating state of the communication apparatus is not restored through the device reset performed by the monitoring unit or the power source reset performed by the chain-of-command unit, the device reset or the power source reset is repeatedly performed until a predetermined number of instances is reached. 
     
     
         4 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein if the predetermined number of instances is reached, the device stops operation of the communication apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a notification unit configured to perform notification to a user if the operation of the communication apparatus is stopped. 
     
     
         6 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein if an error is detected by the monitoring unit, the monitoring unit repeatedly performs an attempt at the device reset until the operating state of the communication apparatus is restored or until a first predetermined number of instances of the attempt is reached, and   if the operating state is not restored even if the first predetermined number of instances of the attempt are performed, the chain-of-command unit repeatedly performs an attempt at the power source reset until the operating state of the communication apparatus is restored or until a second predetermined number of instances of the attempt is reached.   
     
     
         7 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the first predetermined number of instances and the second predetermined number of instances are the same value. 
     
     
         8 . An error handling method to be performed by a communication apparatus including a plurality of devices, the method comprising:
 a monitoring step of, by each of the plurality of devices, monitoring at least one other device to detect an error that has occurred in the other device; and   a step of, if the error is detected, performing a device reset indicating a reset of an operating state of the other device or a power source reset indicating a reset of a supply of electric power to the communication apparatus.